Londonderry-Dungiven road: Work due to start on A6

The A6 scheme will include a bypass around Dungiven

Work on a major new road between Londonderry and Dungiven is expected to get under way in Spring.

Starting at Drumahoe, the 15-mile (25.5km) section of the A6 scheme includes a bypass around Dungiven.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said work will begin once a contractor is appointed.

When complete, the A6 upgrade will link Derry and Belfast via a dual carriageway.

A DfI spokesperson said: "Construction is anticipated to commence in Spring 2018 and funding is in place for this flagship project.

"The tendering process is at an advanced stage and it is envisaged that an announcement of the selected contractor will be made in the coming weeks."

Nine homes, 13 businesses and 760 acres of farmland are needed to make way for the road, affecting a total of 230 people.

The department said it has been working "very closely with all the property and landowners, and they are aware when they are to vacate".

The A6 upgrade is one of the biggest road schemes ever built in Northern Ireland.

The development of a further stretch of the A6 at Toomebridge was the subject of an unsuccessful court case over concerns about its environmental impact.